Frequency changer



FREQUENCY CHANGER Filed May 6, 1945 ENVENTR. /AM'EN HUGE Patented pr. 8, 1947 UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE FREQUENCY CHANGER Henry M. Huge, Lorain, Ohio, assignor of onehalf to Closman P. Stocker and one-half to E. M. Heavens Application May 6,

y 14 Claims. l

This invention relates to frequency changers and in particular to a frequency dividervusing biased saturab-le inductances to produce selfstarting subharmonic oscillations.

The invention provides new and improved means for supplying an output frequency which is an even subharmonic of the input frequency, for assuring self-starting oscillations, for balancing the input frequency out of the output, and for increasing the efficiency and stability of conversion.

An object of my invention is to use a bridge circuit to balance the input frequency out of the 1943, S'eril No. 485,832

output voltage and to balance the output frequency out of the source of biasing current.

Another object of my invention is to start subharmonic oscillations without a starting transient. A further object is to increase the eiliciency of a frequency divider supplying an output frequency which is an evensubharmonic of the input frev qlleIlCy.

Another object of my invention is to separate the input and output frequencies by the use of balanced windings on magnetic cores in conjunction with a unidirectional biasing flux in said magnetic cores.

Other objects and a better understanding of my invention may be had by reference to the following specication and claims in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of my invention showing a bridge circuit and a source of direct current for supplying bias.

Figure 2 is a modication of the circuit of Figure 1 in which the elements ofthe bridge circuit are arranged on two cores and in which a different biasing arrangement is used, and

Figure 3 is a modification of the circuit of Figure 2 using a rectiiier bridge to furnish the biasing current and havinginsulated output windings.

In general the frequency changer of-this/ivention utilizes biased saturable inductances together with a capacitor in a circuit producing even subharmonics of the input frequency. In the working of my invention I control thejphase relationship between the subharmcnic voltage and the input voltage appearing across the saturable inductances to produce a negative resistance cf the proper value to maintain the oscillations and to hold the output voltage substantially constant.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a source of alternating current I in series with a source of direct current I I supplying the input terminals I5 and I6 of the bridge made up oi the four saturable inductances 25, 26, 21, and 28. I

prefer to construct the four inductances subst Y' tially alike so the output terminals Il and I i the bridge, to which capacitor I6 is connected, are at substantially the same potential as far as the sources IU and II are concerned. That is, when all four inductances are equally saturated, no coupling exists between the input terminals is and i6 and the output terminals il and The voltage which appears across capacitor Iii results from an instantaneous difference in saturation of the inductances 2'I and 28 and a difference between 25 and 26. This difference in saturation produces coupling between the input and output terminals and produces a transfer of energy from,

the input to the output circuit. The difference is referred to as instantaneous because it is not generally constant, but goes through a cyclic change,` at one part of the cycle the saturation of inductance 25 and 2l being greater, at another part of the cycle less than the saturation of ins ductances 2E and 28.

l The voltage across capacitor I4 therefore nor-I mally includes very little voltage from source iii and very little unidirectional voltage from source I I. However, the superposition of both alternating and unidirectional flux in the saturable inun ductances produces, for certain values ci capacitor I4, a negative resistance to the fiow of subharmonic current through capacitor it, and under this condition, subharmonic oscillations start and increase in magnitude until they reach a value determined by the saturation of the saturable inductances together with the value oi' capacitor I4. The circuit arrangement is such that with the direct current bias applied as shown, no appreciable coupling exists from the input to the output terminals as the result of the voltage of source I0 and the biasing current but the bias causes a coupling to exist from the output to the input terminals, and it is through this coupling that the negative resistance to the subharmonic frequency is produced. Y

acto

"oii'oge or" a frequency which is onemay beli f.. the impedance to c ormai value, the operating maintained.

- load carrying characterits .from the fact that in load, a shift in phase -onic volta and the voltage en of the satu iid am thereby able with each increase the .newer converted onic frequency by a substantially and Simi uctance :iE is the saine e ce 25. Because of this inductances can be Wound s shown in Figure 2, ce as here used does not le use of tile inductance windt implies that the action its exciting current. transformer l c and saturable .cund on common core -"sure l in the method source source il to sustain in the parallel branch. direct current of source in alternating current source i0,

ge of the common core construcover the lridge arrangement of an advantage of economy. arrangement accomplishes t ducts-...ces and in general this results in econci both space and co The interconnec c inducin of fre- Ly the same.

f an arrangment current bias gized with alter.. rid supplies direc' 4 though the biasing current from the bridge 20 is ieri to the insulated windings 32 and 33, i l. igfolariced produce the same polarity bs as that produced in Figures 1 and 2.

Inductances 25, 26, 21, and 28 and capacitor il are connected in the same manner in Figure in Figures and the circuit operation is substantially as described previously. In order to insulate the load from source I0 and provide any desired output voltage oi the subharmonic frequency, windings 34 and 35 are provided on saturabie cores 3G and 3| respectively. These windings are preferably made with substantially equal turns and their connection is polarized to provide the load with the same wave shape as that across capacitor i4, therefore voltage of the frequency of source l0 is substantially balanced out of the load voltage, and, as in Figures 1 and 2, the subharmonic current and voltage do not appear in the input circuit. The balanced arrangement thereiore assures that no appreciable subharmonic losses will occur in inductance I2 0r the rectifier bridge 20 While only particular forms of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings my invention contemplates the use of at least two magnetic cores with winding connections arranged to balance out of the secondary any voltage i troduced into the primary when the cores are` equally magnetized. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that some modification using a three legged core may be adapted to practice my invention.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way oi example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may bo resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

i. A magnetic frequency divider comprising in combination four saturable inductances arranged as a bridge circuit having two pairs of terminals designated as input and output terminals, a source of alternating current in .series with a source oi direct current connected to the input terminals of said bridge circuit, and a capacitor connected to the output terminals of the bridge circuit, said satura-ble inductance bridge in cooperation with said capacitor producing across said output terminals voltage of a. frequency which is an even subharmonic of the frequency of said source of alternating current. f

2, A frequency changer adapted to be energized by a source or alternating current comprisinU in combination, saturable inductance means raving two pairs of terminals designated as input and output terminals, said saturable inductance means made up of a plurality of inductances connected in a substantially balanced arrangement producing a balanced condition between said input and said output terminals, the coupling between said input and output terminals being produced by instantaneous differences in saturation between different members of said plurality o! saturable inductances, circuit means supplying direct current to said saturable inductance means, a capacitor connected to said output terminals, and output circuit means adapted to supply a load with power at a frequency which is an even subharmonic of the frequency of said source of alternating current when said input terminals are energized from said source of alternating current.

3. A self-,starting frequency divider adapted to be energized by a source of alternating current, comprising in combination, a plurality of saturable inductances arranged in a balanced combination having a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals, the coupling between said input andoutput terminals being produced by instantaneous differences in the saturation of different members of said plurality of saturable inductances, biasing means producing unidirec tional flux in said saturable inductances, a capacitor connected to said output terminals, said balanced combination when energized at its input terminals by said source of alternating current producing ln cooperation with said capacitor and 4biasing means, a voltage of a frequencyl one-half the frequency of said source across said output terminalsn 4. In combination, a plurality of saturable inductances arranged in a balanced combination having a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals, biasing means producing unidirectional flux in said saturabie inductances and producing coupling from said output terminals to said input terminals, a capacitor connected across said output terminals and, a source of alternating current connected to said input ter minals, said combination producing across said output terminals voltage of a frequency which is an even subharmonic of the frequency of said source of alternating current.

5. A frequency changer comprising in combi? nation, first and second substantially equal magnetic core means, first, second, third. and fourth substantially equal winding means, said first and third winding;v means being on said first core means, said second and fourth winding means being on said second core means, said winding means being connected in series with each other in numerical order in a closed loop, the first winding means being connected to the fourth and the second, the third winding means being connected to the second and the fourth, a. capacitor, said capacitor being connected from the junction between the first and second winding means to the junction between the third and fourth winding means, circuit means adapted to supply both alternating current and direct current to said wind ing means, said circuit means being connected on one side to the junction between the fourth and the first winding means, and on the other side to the junction between the second and the third winding means, said frequency changer being adapted to supply a load substantially in parallel with said capacitor with voltage of a frequency which is an even subharmonic of the frequency of the alternating current supplied to said Winding meansA 6. .A self-starting frequency divider adapted tobe energized by a source of alternating current,

comprising in combination, a plurality of saturable inductances arranged in. a balanced combination having a pair of input terminals and a pair or output terminals, the coupling between said input and output terminals being produced by instantaneous differences in the saturation of dif ferent members of said plurality of saturable in ductances, biasing means producing unidirectional fiux in said saturable inductances, a capacitor connected to said output terminals, said balanced combination when energized at its input terminals by said source oi? alternating current producing in cooperation with said capacitor and biasing means, a voltage of a frequency one-half the frequency of said source across said output terminals, circuit means adapted to supply a load substantially' in parallel with said capacitor.

7. In combination, a plurality of saturable inductarices arranged in a balanced combination having s, pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals, biasing means producing uniu directional flux in said saturable inductances and producing coupling from said output terminals to said input terminals, a capacitor connected across said output terminals and a source of aiter'natins,N current connected to said input terminals, said combination producing across said output terminals voltage having a component or a frequency which is an even subharmonic of the frequency of said source of alternating current.

8. A frequency changer comprising in combL nation, first and second substantially equal magnetic core means, first, second, third, and fourth substantially equal winding means, said first and third winding means being on said first core means, said second and fourth winding means being on said second core means, said winding means being connected in series with each other in numerical order in aclcsed'iloop, the first winding means `being connected to the fourth and the second, the third winding means being connected to the second and the fourth, a capacitor, said capacitor being connected from the junction between the rst and second winding means to the junction between the third and fourth winding means, circuit means adapted to supply both alternating current and direct current to said winding means, said circuit means being connected on one side to the junction between the fourth and the iirst winding means, and on the other side to the junction between the second and the third winding means, said circuit means comprising a source oi' alternating current in parallel with a source oi direct our rent, with a direct current bloclrinaF condenser in series with the source of alternating current andan alternating current blocking inductance in series with the source oi? direct current, said frequency changer being adapted to Supply a. load substantially in parallel with said capacitor with voltage of a frequency which is an even subharmonic of the frequency of the alternating current supplied to said winding means.

9. A frequency changer adapted to be energized by a source of alternating current, comsource of alternating current and to suppiy dosing; across said output termina i e i a frequency which is an even subharrnonic or trie biasing current to said plurality oi" satura e inductances, said frequency changer wir gleed by source oi altern frequency o said sourceA of alternating current,

iii. A freduency' changer to. be ener gized by a source of alternating current, coin1 prising; in combination, a plurality of saturable inductances connected in a substantially balanced,- combination having a inout terminata and a vpair output terminate, coupiing be a' i input terminals and said output terg p`^duccd instantaneous differi tiiierent members plurality oi saturable inductances, a first capacitor connected across said output terminals, subst@ntiallie linear inductance in series with a series combination, said on eine' connected substantially `llel with said first capacitor, a capacitor id output terminals. f changing device comprising d output branches, a plurality of saturinductances having winding means, a capaciid unidirectional flux: biasirnT means, said ut output branches, said capacitor eing connected in closed circuit relation with utnuiz branch, said biasing means contcy changing device comprising output branches, a plurality of saturictances having tf/induitT means, a calm ,n and direct current biasing' means, said ff means being connected to form a bridge nput and output branches, said capacitor connected closed circuit relation with ut branch, said biasing means connected ce a unidirectional iiux condition in said e inductences, said capacitor and biasi cooperating with the saturable inducproduce oscillations of changed freie-ans being connected to form a bridge 8 quency in said output branch when said input branch is energized with alternating current.

13. A frequency reducer comprising saturabie inductance means having a plurality of windings connected in a substantially balanced lcircuit having an input and an output branch, a capacitor connected to said output branch, and unidirectional ux biasing means for producing a. unidirectional iiux in the saturable inductance means to provide coupling from the output branch to the :input branch of the substantially balanced circuit, said capacitor and biasing means cooperating with the saturable inductance means to produce oscillations of reduced frequency in said output branch when the input branch is energized with alternating current.

14. A frequency changer comprising saturabie inductance means having a plurality of windings connected in a substantially balanced circuit having an input and an output branch, a capacitor connected to said output branch1 and a source of 'unidirectional biasing current connected in said input branch, said capacitor and b'asing current source cooperating with the saturab e inductance means to produce oscillations of changed frequency in the output branch when the input branch is energized with alternating current.

HENRY M. HUGE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Manley Feb. 10, 1942 Number 

